Toy railway track switch and method of making same



p 1942- v s. SCHAFFAN, JR 2,295,358

TOY RAILWAY TRACK SWITCH AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Sept. 5, 1941INVENTOR ORNEY Patented Sept. 8, 1942 f UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE TOYRAILWAY TRACK SWITCH AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME This invention relates toimprovements in toy railway track switch and method of making same.

An object of my invention is to provide a method whereby a unitary,compact and highly durable track switch may be made from lengths ofsolid metal stock which areinitially rolled to provide upstandingparallel rails, the stock being then cut into suitable lengths and therails being then subjected to a tapered cutting operation, being finallysubjected to an operation for the removal of transverse web materialintermediate the rails leaving one or more transverse web portions whichintegrally connect the rail members in spaced, parallel relation. Theswitch unit is provided with an actuating switch arm secured thereto,preferably made of dielectric material.

These and other advantageous objects are accomplished by the simple andpractical construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, formingpart hereof, and in which:

Fig. l is the top plan view of a section rolled to provide the railmembers,

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the section after it has been subjectedto the tapered cutting operation,

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the section after it has been subjectedto the operation for removal of material of the web portion, leaving oneor more transverse web portions integrally connecting the rail membersin spaced, parallel relation,

Figs. 4, and 6 are transverse vertical sectional views taken on lines4-4, 55, and 6-6 of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, respectively, in the directionindicated by the arrows,

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a toy railway track system embodying theswitch of my invention,

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken on line88 of Fig. 7 in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the railway track switch shown in Fig.3.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the followingspecification while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out inthe appended claims.

Referring to the drawing, in Figs. 1 and 4 there is shown a length I0 ofstock which has been rolled to provide upstanding parallel rails II andI2 integrally connected by the transverse web I3. In Fig. 2 the switchhas been subjected to the second step in my method, namely a taperedcutting operation initiated at the end I4 of the rail section, thetapering effect being toward the end I5.

In Figs. 3, 6 and. 9 the switch is shown after the third step in mymethod wherein the web I3 except for transverse web portions I6, I1 andI8 is removed by a stamping or similar operation, leaving the rails IIand I2 integrally connected in spaced parallel relation by the saidtransverse web portions I6, I1 and I8.

The switch unit is provided with an actuating arm I9 (Fig. 8) securedthereto in any desired or convenient manner, preferably by a pivotmember 20 passed through an aperture A struck out of the medial portionI! and flared over the web portion I1 and switch arm I9 to pivotallysecure the parts together.

In Fig. '7 there is shown a top plan view of a miniature railway tracksystem in which the rails II and i2 of the switch unit are adapted tocontinue the fixed rails 23 and 24 on to the rails 2I and 22. Anydesired or convenient means (as pins 30 on the ties T) complementary tothe switch unit may be provided to enable the latter to be shifted intoabutment with either of the outer rails 2| or 22. As will be noted fromFig. 7, the outer rails 2| and 22 are recessed at their inner faces 25and 26 to snugly receive the corresponding forward ends of the rails IIand I2 so that when the latter are moved into abutment with the outerrails 2| and 22 they will neatly cooperate therewith to present completerail faces for the support of the trains.

As will be noted from Figs. 7 and 8, in the assembled position of theswitch of my invention, the switch arm I9 will underlie the switch unit,resting on the outer rails 2| and 22 intermediate adjacent ties T thusserving to effectively position the switch unit so that it may bereadily manually transversely shifted into either of its operativepositions. Thus the ties T intermediate which the switch arm I9 ispositioned guide the latter in its transverse shifting in use, the pivotmember 20 enabling the forward end I5 of the switch unit to pivotallyaccommodate itself out of parallel relation to arm I9 as necessary toeffect its shifting as shown in Fig. '7. The arm I9 may be of dielectricmaterial when the switch unit is to be used in electric track systems.As set forth above, any suitable means, as pins 30 on the tie Tproviding a pivot bearing for the other end I4 of the unit I0, maycooperate to facilitate the described shifting action.

While I have found the use of metals especially desirable in theconstruction of a railway track switch pursuant to the teachings of myinvention, and have found in practice that ferrous metals are bestsuited for this purpose, my invention is equally adapted for use inconnection with any other metals and plastics or other materials. I havenot particularly set forth the means for securing the rails 2|, 22, 23and 24 to the ties T as any conventional securing means -may be employedfor this purpose.

My invention may be used with equal efficacy in connection with electricand non-electric track systems. When used with electric systems, anydesired or convenient means may be provided for insulating the variousparts of the track system and switch unit with appropriate circuits andmeans for initiating, maintaining and discontinuing the flow of currentas desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a toy railway track system, a plurality of ties arranged inspaced, parallel relation, a pair of outer rails secured to said ties inspaced relation, a pair of converging rails secured to said tiesintermediate said outer rails, and a switch unit slidably arranged onsaid ties intermediate said outer rails, and forwardly adjacent saidconverging rails, said unit comprising a pair of parallel, upstandingrails with spaced transverse web portions integrally connecting the sameadjacent the forward ends thereof, said pair of rails and connectingwebs being of solid cross section, a switch arm pivotally secured to oneof said transverse web portions, said switch arm being positionedbeneath the outer rails and intermediate a pair of adjacent ties, thetransverse web portions and switch unit rails being positionedintermediate the outer rails to enable the switch unit to betransversely shifted into abutment with either of the outer rails onactuation of the switch arm, said switch arm being guided during saidshifting movement by the pair of ties intermediate which the arm ispositioned, and means arranged on one of the ties located adjacent therear end of the switch unit for cooperation with one of the rails of theunit to serve as a fulcrum for the rear end of the unit and to permitlimited shifting of the unit into cooperative relation with the forwardends of the second mentioned pair of rails, when the switch arm isactuated,

2. In a toy railway track system, a plurality of ties arranged inspaced, parallel relation, a pair of outer rails secured to said ties inspaced relation, a pair of converging rails secured to said tiesintermediate said outer rails, and a switch unit slidably arranged onsaid ties intermediate said outer rails, and forwardly adjacent saidconverging rails, said unit comprising a pair of parallel, upstandingrails with spaced transverse web portions integrally connecting the sameadjacent the forward ends thereof, said pair of rails and connectingwebs being of solid cross section, a switch arm pivotally secured to oneof said transverse web portions, said switch arm being positionedbeneath the outer rails and intermediate a pair of adjacent ties, thetransverse web portions and switch unit rails being posi tionedintermediate the outer rails to enable the switch unit to betransversely shifted into abutment with either of the outer rails onactuation of the switch arm, said switch arm being guided during saidshifting movement by the pair of ties intermediate which the arm ispositioned, and means arranged on one of the ties located adjacent therear end of the switch unit for cooperation with one of the rails of theunit to serve as a fulcrum for the rear end of the unit and to permitlimited shifting of the unit into cooperative relation with the forwardends of the second mentioned pair of rails, when the switch arm isactuated, the switch arm being of a width substantially equal to thedistance between the pair of the ties intermediate which it ispositioned so that said arm is guided solely in lateral movement by saidpair of ties.

3. In a toy railway track system, a plurality of ties arranged inspaced, parallel relation, a pair of outer rails secured to said ties inspaced relation, a pair of converging rails secured to said tiesintermediate said outer rails, and a switch unit slidably arranged onsaid ties intermediate said outer rails, and forwardly adjacent saidconverging rails, said unit comprising a pair of parallel, upstandingrails with spaced transverse web portions integrally connecting the sameadjacent the forward ends thereof, said pair of rails and connectingwebs being of solid cross section, a switch arm secured to one of saidtransverse web portions, said switch arm being positioned beneath theouter rails and intermediate a pair of adjacent ties, to be guidedtherebetween, the transverse web portions and switch unit rails beingpositioned intermediate the outer rails to enable the switch unit to beransversely shifted into abutment with either of the outer rails onactuation of the switch arm, and means in said system cooperating withone of the rails of the rear end of the unit serving as a fulcrum forthe rear end of the unit and to permit limited longitudinal shifting ofthe unit into aligned cooperative relation with the forward ends of thesecond mentioned pair of rails,

when the switch arm is actuated.

STEPHAN SCHAFFAN, JR.

